IV.G. Energy Conservation Fund (ECF)

The ECF is a fund that the BSC holds specifically for financing projects that will decrease the energy or water use of a Co-op, thereby creating long term savings for the BSC. Houses should refer to their individual energy audit reports for guidance in prioritizing energy saving projects.

A. Uses of the Fund

The ECF provides funding for sustainability oriented energy saving projects that:

1. Would not otherwise be covered under by the BSC's existing sustainable purchasing practices (Section V.J).

2. Would not otherwise be prioritized in the BAPs process.

3. Are too expensive or complex for HAPS.

B. Sources of Money for the Fund

1. CARE discounts (Section IV.E.I)

2. PG&E administered rebates on purchases (Section IV.E.II)

3. Money budgeted into the ECF by Board or FiCom during the regular budgeting process.

C. Criteria for Projects

All projects that receive money from the ECF must meet the following conditions:

1. Projects must be primarily aimed at reducing the long term utilities consumption of a BSC Co-op.

2. Projects must be supported by reasonable projections indicating their payback period.

3. Projects must be permanent additions to the house, not portable or easily removable items.

D. Proposal and Approval of Projects

Projects for the ECF can come from the BAPS process or from an independent Co-op proposal. In either case, projects must satisfy the above criteria.

A. Energy Conservation Projects through the BAPS process

i. Proposal

1. Maintenance Managers meet with their Waste Reduction Manager to determine energy saving projects to be placed on their BAPs request list

2. These projects are informed by the house energy audit, the Sustainability Coordinator, and/or another source of reliable data indicating which projects will be effective and affordable.

3. Projects are listed on the house's regular BAPs request list, but clearly indicated as intended for ECF funding.

4. BAPS projects not exclusively aimed at reducing energy consumption but that contain energy saving provisions can request partial ECF funding.

5. All energy conservation projects must be approved by house council along with the rest of the BAPS proposals.

ii. Approval

Review and approval of projects proposed for ECF funding through the BAPS process shall take place as described in the BAPs policy (Section V.C).

B. Independent Proposal

i. Proposal

At any time, a BSC Co-op member or staff member may submit a request for funding from the ECF to cover part or all of the cost of a project which meets the above criteria (IV.F.II). Requests will follow these guidelines:

1. Requests will include a detailed outline of the project, including estimated total project costs, how much money is being requested from the ECF, and the estimated payback period of the project through projected energy savings.

2. If the proposal is coming from a Co-op member or manager, the proposal must be approved by house council before being submitted.

3. Projects approved outside the BAPS process should be smaller, lower budget projects. Maintcom may refer major renovations or expensive projects to the next BAPs process.

4. Proposals are be submitted to the VPCA and the Sustainability Coordinator.

ii. Approval

1. Proposals are reviewed by MaintCom in conjunction with the sustainability coordinator, to ensure that the project plans are financially sound, and that the projected energy savings are feasible.

2. When reviewing these proposals, the sustainability coordinator will be considered a voting member of MaintCom.

3. MaintCom, along with the sustainability coordinator, can decide to award a smaller sum of money to the project than initially requested.

4. Approved proposals shall be placed on the consent agenda for the next board meeting.

5. Projects that are more than $10,000 must be approved by CapCom before going on the consent agenda for the next board meeting.

6. Upon the completion of the project, a report shall be made to the sustainability coordinator by the proposer, documenting how the money was used. Before the end of each academic year, sustainability coordinator will compile all such documents to give a full report to the board.

7. If there is not enough time for MaintCom to review a request, CapCom has the authority to make a decision about the request.